Now That’s A Twist

Where out here will we get a cup of coffee?

Where out here will we get a cup of coffee?

It’s the defining axiom of the Nordic Barista Cup. The only rule is there are no rules. Each incarnation of the event is designed by the host country committee and they get to set up the competition however they’d like. Going in, the teams normally don’t have any idea of what’s in store for them.

Just a little while ago, however, we learned a little about what to expect once the competition shifts to the wilds of Iceland (and perhaps last night’s presentation on the history of coffee in the country has a little more resonance now.)

It’s a back-to-basics theme, and this is going to be very basic indeed.

It’s simple and brutal, something certainly suited to the Icelandic countryside.

Each team will receive 15 kilos of green coffee. Their challenge is to make it drinkable.

No big deal, right? Just roast it, grind it and brew it.

Only that’s going to be a little more difficult than it seems since the teams will not have any equipment.

No roaster. No grinder. No brewer.

Good luck with that then.